Reports of a rift between Deepika Padukone and Sandeep Reddy Vanga regarding the issue of eight-hour shifts have once again gained traction on social media. When the actress backed out of the film *Spirit*—which was to star her opposite Prabhas—Sandeep Reddy Vanga took a dig at her without explicitly naming her. This sparked a prolonged debate in Bollywood concerning the concept of eight-hour shifts.

Just as the matter—which surfaced in 2025—had begun to settle, Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s brother, Pranay, claimed that a demand for profit-sharing was one of the reasons Deepika left the film. Following these claims by the filmmaker's brother, sources close to Deepika did not remain silent and revealed the actual reason behind her decision to opt out of *Spirit*.

**Deepika has met Sandeep Reddy Vanga only once**
A source close to Deepika Padukone stated, "She has met Sandeep Reddy Vanga only once in her life, and even then, the director arrived two hours late for the meeting. Nevertheless, the actress conducted herself professionally. Instead of narrating the story of *Spirit*, the director merely gave her a one-line brief. Deepika never commits to a project without hearing the full story narration; consequently, *Spirit* was never really a consideration for her from the very beginning."

The source added, "Sandeep Reddy Vanga is a filmmaker Deepika Padukone would never work with, as he holds a chauvinistic attitude towards women—a perspective that is clearly evident in his films."

**What Sandeep Reddy Vanga had said about Deepika**
For those unaware, the controversy between Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Deepika Padukone escalated when the director wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account: "When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100% trust in them. There is an unspoken NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) between us." "But by doing this, you revealed your true self... Belittling a young actor and dropping her from my story? Is that what your feminism stands for?"

The matter eventually settled down, but Sandeep’s brother, Pranay, once again made statements regarding Deepika Padukone. Speaking to NDTV Telugu, he said, "The reasons for Deepika leaving the film are exactly what has already been stated: remuneration and scheduling. There were other factors involved as well. Things escalated quickly after that. Look, she is free to make demands. If we are willing to meet them, we can. But the numbers have to make sense for us, too. We felt it wasn't working out, so we considered other options. The moment we started exploring alternatives, she began leaking information."

After Deepika Padukone exited the project, the makers cast Triptii Dimri as the lead actress. The film is scheduled for release on March 5, 2027.

PC Social Media